Emma eBook

`Full
many a flower is born to blush unseen,
`And
waste its fragrance on the desert air.’

We must not allow them to be verified in sweet Jane
Fairfax.”

“I cannot think there is any danger of it,”
was Emma’s calm answer—­ “and
when you are better acquainted with Miss Fairfax’s
situation and understand what her home has been, with
Colonel and Mrs. Campbell, I have no idea that you
will suppose her talents can be unknown.”

“Oh! but dear Miss Woodhouse, she is now in
such retirement, such obscurity, so thrown away.—­Whatever
advantages she may have enjoyed with the Campbells
are so palpably at an end! And I think she feels
it. I am sure she does. She is very timid
and silent. One can see that she feels the want
of encouragement. I like her the better for
it. I must confess it is a recommendation to
me. I am a great advocate for timidity—­and
I am sure one does not often meet with it.—­But
in those who are at all inferior, it is extremely
prepossessing. Oh! I assure you, Jane Fairfax
is a very delightful character, and interests me more
than I can express.”

“You appear to feel a great deal—­but
I am not aware how you or any of Miss Fairfax’s
acquaintance here, any of those who have known her
longer than yourself, can shew her any other attention
than”—­

“My dear Miss Woodhouse, a vast deal may be
done by those who dare to act. You and I need
not be afraid. If we set the example,
many will follow it as far as they can; though all
have not our situations. We have carriages
to fetch and convey her home, and we live in
a style which could not make the addition of Jane
Fairfax, at any time, the least inconvenient.—­I
should be extremely displeased if Wright were to send
us up such a dinner, as could make me regret having
asked more than Jane Fairfax to partake of
it. I have no idea of that sort of thing.
It is not likely that I should, considering
what I have been used to. My greatest danger,
perhaps, in housekeeping, may be quite the other way,
in doing too much, and being too careless of expense.
Maple Grove will probably be my model more than it
ought to be—­ for we do not at all affect
to equal my brother, Mr. Suckling, in income.—­However,
my resolution is taken as to noticing Jane Fairfax.—­
I shall certainly have her very often at my house,
shall introduce her wherever I can, shall have musical
parties to draw out her talents, and shall be constantly
on the watch for an eligible situation. My acquaintance
is so very extensive, that I have little doubt of
hearing of something to suit her shortly.—­I
shall introduce her, of course, very particularly
to my brother and sister when they come to us.
I am sure they will like her extremely; and when she
gets a little acquainted with them, her fears will
completely wear off, for there really is nothing in
the manners of either but what is highly conciliating.—­I
shall have her very often indeed while they are with
me, and I dare say we shall sometimes find a seat for
her in the barouche-landau in some of our exploring
parties.”